FT86Speedfactory Catted UEL Header review! (Photos and Videos)
 

I'm not big on reviews and am generally not wordy but here goes.

For a little background on me and potentially to give you an idea of my preferences for sound and performance, I'm a 28 year old lawyer from Pittsburgh. I prefer cars that look and sound "reasonable" and not over the top. I have to stay professional and can't/won't show up to hearings in a car that would draw negative attention. I've previously owned a Miata, G35, GTi, Civic Si and a few others.

My FRS: Currently I have an MXP Catback and a drop-in filter. That's it for power mods for right now. Also have RCE springs and Enkei wheels for the warmer months.

Now for the review:

FT86SPEEDFACTORY:

These guys have been very responsive via email and the forum for the header. No questions went unanswered for longer than a few minutes for the most part. These guys certainly care about their reputation and putting out awesome products for us. This is the first item I've purchased from them but likely not the last.

QUALITY:

Right out of the box the header looks and feels well made. My dad is a sheet metal worker/welder, so I have experience in terms of good welds vs. bad. The welds certainly look good and should hold up to anything I can throw at the car on the street (and track for those of you that race). The flanges are thick. The small cat just looks right on the header.

PACKAGING/SHIPPING:

Header was packaged nicely with packing materials that form to whatever is in the box. I'm pretty sure it couldn't shift much at all in the box. Header comes with three gaskets and hardware to bolt to the overpipe (and laffy taffy lol). My header shipped Tuesday, UPS dropped the ball, and I still had it by Friday. Excellent job by FT86Speedfactory.

INSTALLATION:

What you'll need: 10mm, 12mm (deep well), 14mm, and 15mm sockets; socket wrench; 15mm wrench; screwdriver (flat); extension. Installation is relatively easy. I merely used a jack and jack stands and did all the work from my back by myself. Again, I'm a lawyer, not a mechanic so you should be able to handle the work too (although I have done a couple Civic Si headers, and those are horrendously difficult). Make sure you have all the required tools beforehand so you don't end up running to Lowes to buy a deep-well. Nuts and bolts were easy to remove. I had to pry the header away from the overpipe, but that was relatively simple. The most difficult part was removing the O2 sensors, but I also didn't have the best wrench for the job.

FITMENT:

The header fit perfectly! It was very simple to line up and light enough to hold while starting the first couple nuts. Gaskets are nice quality and went on easy. Fitment with the overpipe was spot on.

SOUND:

The header being UEL obviously makes it sound like a "subie". It isn't as pronounced as a WRX to my ear. I think it sounds really good. The volume is a little louder in the cabin but just barely. Outside the car is quiet and almost silent at idle. WOT is again slightly louder than before. As you all know, this will be vastly different depending on what exhaust you already have, but you can be sure the sound will be pleasant and not worldly louder. One of the reasons I went catted was for the minimal sound increase...success.

PERFORMANCE (without a tune!):

Now for the best part. No more torque dip! The best comparison of the cars I've owned is that it's now more similar to the GTi. The torque is seamless and a much more pleasant driving experience. So far I've only driven back roads but accelerating out of corners and on straights is 100% improved. I didn't have the room for much WOT but when I did the power delivery was so smooth and no longer aggravating. The header won't put you in a different class power-wise but for a daily driver, this will be a fantastic mod and perfect for my needs.

CONCLUSION AKA SHORT VERSION:

Awesome quality. Great power gain. Sounds amazing. And i will update this thread here and there as I put some real miles on the header.

[ame]http://youtu.be/zv19mYLGkWU[/ame]

[ame]http://youtu.be/TObyNc6NCA8[/ame]

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps991b8ab8.jpg

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/s...psbc4588ef.jpg

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps12ad9a05.jpg

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/s...psb18e1478.jpg

Sounds pretty nice. Once I go header I figure it's this or the OFH.

Good review! If you don't mind, update around the 500 mi mark. My biggest worry on this header is the ECU relearning and the torque dip coming back.

Will do. Should be by the end of the week. I'm trying to avoid a tune unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks for the review

Agreed, cheers. Sounds really nice.

Thanks for putting in the effort!

Very nice.

so what happens when the cat goes bad...

I'm not going to lie, the welds and everything about the header looks fantastic! This was my original choice for headers, but since it doesn't have that "WRX Rumble" equated with it's three letter design- UEL-, I'll probably go with the OFH now since it'll most likely give me that sound and torque dip I'm after. Speaking of UEL, is there a chance that you can record a flyby/ drive by shot of your set up in action!?

Straight pipe welded in I suppose. I don't keep cars that long.

It definitely has the rumble. My exhaust isn't very loud to begin with, so results I'm sure will vary.

I'll try to get a drive-by today.

Another update...

GIRLFRIEND TEST:

Went for a drive last night and she actually liked the sound better than before. There is less drone when coasting in gear. She said the frequency was more pleasant. I'm pleased.

I'm between this and the ofh. Would like to keep away from flashing ecu as long as possible. Wonder how it compares on dyno. Torque dip is the important factor though.

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